Oral Health Topics A–Z
Antibiotics and your heart
Overview
Additional Resources
Overview: New Guidelines from the American Heart Association
Please note: Guidelines for patients who have total joint replacement have not been changed. For more information see A-Z Professional Topic: Antibiotic Prophylaxis.
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For decades, the American Heart Association (AHA) recommended that patients with certain heart conditions take antibiotics shortly before dental treatment. This was done with the belief that antibiotics would prevent infective endocarditis (IE), previously referred to as bacterial endocarditis. IE is an infection of the heart’s inner lining or valves, which results when bacteria enter the bloodstream and travel to the heart. Bacteria normally are found in various sites of the body including on the skin and in the mouth.
The AHA’s latest guidelines were published in its scientific journal, Circulation, in April 2007 and there is good news: the AHA recommends that most of these patients no longer need short-term antibiotics as a preventive measure before their dental treatment.
The American Dental Association participated in the development of the new guidelines and has approved those portions relevant to dentistry. The Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society endorsed the guidelines.
The guidelines are based on a growing body of scientific evidence that shows the risks of taking preventive antibiotics outweigh the benefits for most patients. The risks include adverse reactions to antibiotics that range from mild to potentially severe cases. Inappropriate use of antibiotics can also lead to the development of drug-resistant bacteria.
Scientists also found no compelling evidence that taking antibiotics prior to a dental procedure prevents IE in patients who are at risk of developing a heart infection. Their hearts already are often exposed to bacteria from the mouth, which can enter their bloodstream during basic daily activities such as brushing or flossing. The new guidelines are based on a comprehensive review of published studies that suggests IE is more likely to occur as a result of these everyday activities than from a dental procedure.
The guidelines say patients who have taken prophylactic antibiotics routinely in the past but no longer need them include people with:
mitral valve prolapse
rheumatic heart disease
bicuspid valve disease
calcified aortic stenosis
congenital heart conditions such as ventricular septal defect, atrial septal defect and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
The new guidelines are aimed at patients who would have the greatest danger of a bad outcome if they developed a heart infection.
Preventive antibiotics prior to a dental procedure are advised for patients with:
artificial heart valves
a history of infective endocarditis
certain specific, serious congenital (present from birth) heart conditions, including
unrepaired or incompletely repaired cyanotic congenital heart disease, including those with palliative shunts and conduits
a completely repaired congenital heart defect with prosthetic material or device, whether placed by surgery or by catheter intervention, during the first six months after the procedure
any repaired congenital heart defect with residual defect at the site or adjacent to the site of a prosthetic patch or a prosthetic device
a cardiac transplant that develops a problem in a heart valve.
The new recommendations apply to many dental procedures, including teeth cleaning and extractions. Patients with congenital heart disease can have complicated circumstances. They should check with their cardiologist if there is any question at all as to the category that best fits their needs.
Patients and their families should also ask their health care providers careful questions anytime antibiotics are suggested before a medical or dental procedure.
The AHA guidelines emphasize that maintaining optimal oral health and practicing daily oral hygiene are more important in reducing the risk of IE than taking preventive antibiotics before a dental visit.
To review the guidelines, please visit our A-Z Professional Topic: Infective Endocarditis.
For more information see Infective Endocarditis: Frequently Asked Questions.
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Please note: The ADA does not provide specific answers to individual questions about fees, dental problems, conditions, diagnoses, treatments or proposed treatments, or requests for research. Information about dental referrals, complaints and a variety of dental procedures may be found here. You can also refer to our Frequently Asked Questions page for answers to common questions.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
dental news
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Born On The Bayou - Creedence Clearwater Revival
Now, when I was just a little boy,
Standin' to my Daddy's knee,
My poppa said, "Son, don't let the man get you
Do what he done to me."
'Cause he'll get you,
'Cause he'll get you now, now.
And I can remember the fourth of July,
Runnin' through the backwood, bare.
And I can still hear my old hound dog barkin',
Chasin' down a hoodoo there.
Chasin' down a hoodoo there.
Chorus:
Born on the Bayou;
Born on the Bayou;
Born on the Bayou.
Wish I was back on the Bayou.
Rollin' with some Cajun Queen.
Wishin' I were a fast freight train,
Just a chooglin' on down to New Orleans.
Chorus
Do it, do it, do it, do it. Oh, Lord.
Oh get back boy.
I can remember the fourth of July,
Runnin' through the backwood bare.
And I can still hear my old hound dog barkin',
Chasin' down a hoodoo there.
Chasin' down a hoodoo there.
Chorus
All right! Do, do, do, do.
Mmmmmmm, oh.
Michael Buble - Lost NEW VIDEO!!
Lost lyrics
I can't believe it's over
I watched the whole thing fall
And I never saw the writing that was on the wall
If I'd only knew
The days were slipping past
That the good things never last
That you were crying
Summer turned to winter
And the snow it turned to rain
And the rain turned into tears upon your face
I hardly recognized the girl you are today
And god I hope it's not too late
It's not too late
'Cause you are not alone
I'm always there with you
And we'll get lost together
Till the light comes pouring through
'Cause when you feel like you're done
And the darkness has won
Babe, you're not lost
When your worlds crashing down
And you can't bear the thought
I said, babe, you're not lost
Life can show no mercy
It can tear your soul apart
It can make you feel like you've gone crazy
But you're not
Things have seem to changed
There's one thing that's still the same
In my heart you have remained
And we can fly fly fly away
'Cause you are not alone
And I am there with you
And we'll get lost together
Till the light comes pouring through
'Cause when you feel like you're done
And the darkness has won
Babe, you're not lost
When the worlds crashing down
And you can not bear to crawl
I said, baby, you're not lost
I said, baby, you're not lost
I said, baby, you're not lost
I said, baby, you're not lost
far away lyrics
Far Away lyrics
This time, This place
Misused, Mistakes
Too long, Too late
Who was I to make you wait
Just one chance
Just one breath
Just in case there's just one left
'Cause you know,
you know, you know
[CHORUS]
That I love you
I have loved you all along
And I miss you
Been far away for far too long
I keep dreaming you'll be with me
and you'll never go
Stop breathing if
I don't see you anymore
On my knees, I'll ask
Last chance for one last dance
'Cause with you, I'd withstand
All of hell to hold your hand
I'd give it all
I'd give for us
Give anything but I won't give up
'Cause you know,
you know, you know
[CHORUS]
So far away
Been far away for far too long
So far away
Been far away for far too long
But you know, you know, you know
I wanted
I wanted you to stay
'Cause I needed
I need to hear you say
That I love you
I have loved you all along
And I forgive you
For being away for far too long
So keep breathing
'Cause I'm not leaving you anymore
Believe it
Hold on to me and, never let me go
Keep breathing
'Cause I'm not leaving you anymore
Believe it
Hold on to me and, never let me go
Keep breathing
Hold on to me and, never let me go
Keep breathing
Hold on to me and, never let me go
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
know that you don't feel for me
The way I feel for you.
We're good friends, I value that,
There's nothing you need do.
But as a friend I need to tell you
What is in my heart.
An unsaid truth is like a wall,
Keeping us apart.
My love for you will go nowhere,
Will just remain with me.
I'll hold it in my quiet arms
And feel it constantly
I love you even though I know
You show no love for me.
Your eyes are icy springs that feed
My hidden ecstasy.
All night I hold you in my arms
And sleep in your embrace.
All day I turn away from life
To gaze upon your face.
Alone I find within my heart
A black and raging sea,
For only you, beloved one,
Can calm my Galilee
It's amazing how I feel when I'm around you,
How my heart pounds when you come into a room.
I look at you and think: My God! How lovely!
And everything I am bursts into bloom.
I feel as though you must, you must be mine,
Not as a possession but a goal,
Something almost unimaginable:
The free devotion of another soul.
As though I were about to enter heaven
Or just within the hour condemned to die,
My mind with one fierce thought keeps running over,
With you, and only you, the reason why
BY Unknown
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Health Numbers to Help You Stay Fit :posted by john tesh
Health Numbers to Help You Stay Fit
Want to stay healthy? Then you’ve gotta learn to love numbers! Keep these “health numbers” in mind if you want to stay fit. They come from Quick and Simple Magazine.
The first health number: 5. That’s the MAXIMUM number of minutes you should listen to music at full volume while wearing headphones or earbuds. If you blast your music any longer than that, not only will you irritate your co-workers or fellow bus passengers, but you’ll also risk inner ear damage! Know this: Most people crank their mp3 players to about 120 decibels – about the level of a firecracker. Experts say listening to something that loud can cause hearing damage after just 30 seconds! So avoid cranking the volume above the halfway point. If the person next to you has to raise their voice to be heard, your music’s too loud!
The next health number: 1,000. That’s the number of milligrams of calcium you need each day to ward off osteoporosis. So say researchers at the Centers For Disease Control. How can you get your thousand milligrams? If you have a glass of skim milk at breakfast, a slice of cheese on your sandwich at lunch, a carton of yogurt for your afternoon snack, and another glass of skim milk with dinner, you’re pretty much there.
The final health number: 6. That’s the number of years you can add to your life by FLOSSING every day! Why? Because the same bacteria that causes gum disease can lead to inflammation in your arteries, and cause heart disease. So floss daily to reduce the amount of bacteria in your teeth. Flossing won’t just help your heart, it’ll also help your social life. How? Dentists say the number one cause of bad breath is the hunks of decaying food that get stuck between your teeth! So if you floss ‘em away after every meal, you won’t repel people with your dragon breath.
